A few days after meeting the Hoshikage

[Junan]

It had been a few days since the Hoshikage had entered Cloud and met Hayata Shin. Kushin had left as she had entered and now he headed for Shin's office, a frozen head in hand. Kushin had taken exception to the way that Bear and Star had taken shinobi abilities into consideration during the trial of Masao and Kitsune. His method of telling them this was killing every official and their family who had dealt with the case as well as a couple of dozen Hoshigakure shinobi who had come to hunt him down. Of course they thought they were there for the man that Kushin had already killed, Daishi, Enishi's right hand man, and one who was in part responsible for Kiyo's attack.

He walked past the reception, the receptionist went to raise issue but decided not to.

He walked down the corridors, Juunin was talking with other Council members, noticed Kushin, and ignored him.

He walked up to the Raikage's office, the ANBU guards watching him, recognizing who he was and knowing better than to stop him.

He entered Shin's room and to announce his presence he said in a monotone voice I brought a gift. Before tossing the head across the room. It landed on the floor, bounced once, spun and rolled its way towards the Raikage.

Hayata would have been aware of the chaos going on in Bear Country by now. Reports on the town where Masao and Kitsune had been imprisoned falling into chaos as shinobi did battle with shinobi and as civilian leaders and their families were killed, often horrifically would be made known to any in the region. Shin of course was the Raikage, and one who Kushin knew was interested in furthering his knowledge. The events in that town would be well known by now. Recently there might even have been notice of thanks to Cloud's Isaki Kushin for stopping the rampage of Daishi in the town. Yet that only proved their ignorance.

The Hoshikage would know the truth of the situation, yet she was unlikely to act on this knowledge. After all it would simply show the flaw of her own judicial system and the charges which had been placed on two of Cloud's shinobi only days earlier. Doing this would only create more chaos amongst her own people. Kushin could only hope she was that stupid.

 

[Shu]

Shin was attended his bookshelf. In his arm rested a rugged brown book with a rather torn back cover. His attention on the content of the book that he did not pay attention to the sonorous noise from iutside of his office. It was interesting that despite how isolated Shin's office was from the rest of the tower that noise could still enter his office. It must have been important.

A loud bang entered the room as a track of muddy prints appear on the clean white tiles. The muddy prints belonged to the young medical sennin, Isaki Kushin. He was carrying a strange distinguishable object that he threw onto the floor. The object spewd dark red liquid all over like drizzling sand poured out from a jar.

Shin took a deep breath as he composed himself. He calmy closed the book and slid it back to the shelf.

"You have a habit of making a mess of things."

"Hayata sama are you alright? I have just notified ANBU and..." A young female voice whispered in Shin's hidden headset.

"I am alright, Hitomi but if you could send in a cleaning crew I would appreciate it." Shin repsonded.

"Hai!" She replied.

Shin went to the corner of his desk and opened a small black box. He pulled out thick black gloves and switched then with the plain white ones covering his hands.

He came closer to the object and noticed that it was a head.

Shin countenance remained austere as he meticously examined it.

"Would you mind telling me where you came across this gift. Also, before, where have you been these past few days?" Shin asked.

 

[Junan]

Shin regarded him with relative coldness. Kushin of course constantly questioned whether the way Shin spoke with him, and the questions he asked would have been the same as if Masao or Rin had done so. Though of course Kushin failed to reason that Masao wouldn't enter like this in the first place.

His frown deepened thinking that the question was rather self explanatory. He looked at the head and then back at Shin Killing people. the most honest answer he would likely give in this conversation was spoken with only two words.

He walked further inside as a couple of people with rags rushed in ahead of him and cleaned the floor of the blood.

This Enishi is causing us issue and with Star village being their useless selves and sentencing Cloud shinobi to confinement I needed to let my frustrations out on someone. That several Star Shinobi were killed before I could stop Daishi here was unfortunate. He lied with that last part. He'd killed those Star shinobi, and he'd done so after he'd killed Daishi, indeed civilians had died as well, in particular the ones who'd placed Masao and Kitsune in their imprisonment and all their families. He'd left survivors though, unconscious in locations where they had hidden as he'd slaughtered their mothers and fathers, witnesses to his crime. Witnesses proving that it wasn't Kushin, but Daishi who had committed them. After all, he was a shinobi, and a master of the ninjutsu arts.

Due to the same reason why Masao and Kitsune had been judged the Star Sennin had been forced to instead praise Kushin's efforts, when Kushin knew only too well that in the moment where they locked eyes the man knew that Kushin was at the least in part to blame for his villages losses.

I killed him in the same town that had sentenced Masao and Kitsune to guilt. Fate smiled upon me perhaps.

Kushin above all others gave away almost nothing with his general facial features. He only smiled while causing someone pain, or thinking of moments when he had. He frowned more often than not. But it was in his eyes where his true emotions could sometimes be witnessed. In this instance, before a man with the vision that Shin possessed he knew that Shin would know that fate had nothing to do with it. But at the same time all evidence said otherwise. Covering his tracks was the reason why Kushin was Sennin. It'd served its purpose in this affair as well.

 

[Shu]

The medical nin were quiet as they volantly cleared Shin's office; one of them carefully sealing the dismembered head into a brown wooden box. Shin waited until the two were completely alone. Shin calmly walked toward his desk. "Please take a seat." Shin instructed the young sennin as he sat behind his desk.

It was upsetting to hear that one of the leaders were killed before they could even get any answers from him, but more importantly Shin was disturbed at expeditiousness of Kushin's actions. At least, Daishi should be sentenced for his crimes.

"We could have used Daichi to obtain more information about Enishi, but more importantly we need to convey ourselves with more etiquette. The last thing we need is a confrontation between Star and Kumogakure. You are not an animal; you are an honorable shinobi." Shin said. His voice was calm and serene not filled with anger but filled with concern. Shin did not want Kushin turn into a merciless killer. He hoped that allowing Kushin to work on his experiments it would put Kushin's mind into perspective.

"Do you have an analysis on his fighting ability?" Shin asked.

 

[Junan]

Kushin took a seat as requested by his kage. He frowned and wondered why it was that he was going to be given a lecture.

Shin's next words spelled out the issue for him pretty simply. Kushin was meant to be an honorable person who stabs people in the back for a living... Daishi, a shinobi who managed to almost single handedly take down a Raikage, even one as weak as Kiyo, at Cloud's gates and then get away scott free was meant to be able to be detained by a single Sennin and then taken to a court where he would be judged, then serve a sentence, and then be allowed out. Indeed this shinobi who was so strong might give them information on his boss's whereabouts.

Kushin sat there looking at Shin with his frowned expression on his face quietly waiting for a question to be asked or for a reason to speak to occur.

Then he was asked about his fighting ability.

He relied on the same technique repeatedly, powerful though it was it became predictable within seconds. He only had a couple of elements mastered and so I chose to rely instead entirely on elements which countered them in an attempt at forcing the battle into my favour. Kushin's knowledge of the elements by this time would be relatively well known, especially amongst the Sennin and to Shin. He was said to know every known jutsu of the five elements, as well as all the medical, ANBU and jutsu without elements. He was like a ninjutsu, jutsu expert, but his field was medicine... in a way.

He had a friend who arrived with him to attack me. I think that I'd been spotted searching for them and they'd decided that it might be easier coming at me with more numbers. The issue was that he was weak, perhaps Chuunin strength, and pushed to the side where he escaped from while I fought with Daishi.

The report on Daishi was along similar lines on the report of the attack on the Raikage. He'd relied heavily on Rasengan based attacks, which had worked against a genjutsu user.

 

[Shu]

Shin's rubbed his chin pensively dissecting Kushin's analysis. Ironically, there was not much to go by only stating that Daichi was an elementalist. Daichi's records showed that he was excellent with the use of elemental ninjutsu but had to master any kekkei genkai. It would have been useful to know if the man was seeking to approve his abilities.


"Could you be more specific? Did he rely on the wind element? Did he utilize any kekkei genkai? If we can compare and contrast his abilities from before and now we may be able to hypothesis where he was training." Shin said as he stood up from his chair and walked toward his bookshelf. He began to shuffle through his books and scrolls until he stopped at a vinyl green book. He removed from the shelf and brought it back to his desk.

 

[Junan]

Kushin didn't know if any knowledge on what someone was training could lead them to know where it was, but he'd play ball and tell his Raikage what he wanted to know.

He did use the wind element, the Rasen-Shuriken was his favourite jutsu during our battle. He must have had knowledge in many non-elemental jutsu as well as he used the clone jutsu, of which I assumed they were wind clones but wasn't exactly sure as I used area of effect jutsu to remove them as soon as I could and my view was blocked by the explosions. From reading his attack on the Raikage he used genjutsu at that time, I'm assuming his training in genjutsu was limited to when fighting more than a single opponent as he didn't use that against me to my knowledge. He was of Hyuuga heritage... that's why I brought the head back and not more ... though used nothing more than the byakugan from their known techniques. He was clearly someone who fancied themselves as a Ninjutsu user primarily, though his limited techniques even in that raises my doubts on his capabilities.

He remained motionless in his seat, the scroll in which the mans Hyuuga eyes were sealed seemed to press against him, reminding him that he'd already removed the prized objects.

I have fired off a warning shot to the Kingslayers, they now know that there are some in Cloud who they might not know of their full capabilities. My kinjutsu's strength is still growing, and thus so is my own. I've done this in the hope that it forces them to take a step back and hesitate and gives you, Cloud, time to prepare something.

His frown was unmoved, his features telling the story of one who hated most, but hiding how he felt for the village he called home.

 

[Shu]

Wind. It was an element that Shin has nearly mastered and knows where a person can improve his or her skills. However, wind is a widely used elemental throughout Kumogakure, even if Shin could track down sensei the corresponding students would be enormous. Shin was at a dead end. Fortunately, there was a slither of information that could be proved useful in this investigation. Apparently, Daichi was a Hyuuga there had to be some record of it especially from a foreign man.

Kushin remained silent as he waited for Shin's response.

"I have fired off a warning shot to the Kingslayers, they now know that there are some in Cloud who they might not know of their full capabilities. My kinjutsu's strength is still growing, and thus so is my own. I've done this in the hope that it forces them to take a step back and hesitate and gives you, Cloud, time to prepare something." The man said breaking the silence.

Shin looked onward at Kushin noting the somberness in the man's face. Kushin had always felt distant from him as if he and Shin could never relate.

"Before I answer. It appears there is something more on your mind. Would you mind telling me?"
n

 

[Junan]

I am the medical Sennin, there is always something more on my mind. It is nothing to concern yourself with. He said, his features effectively unmoving as he looked at his Raikage.

As of this moment there were many things to keep Kushin busy.

Medical experiments including animals, a month or so ago one had broken out of its enclosure. It had been hunted down of course, but that didn't mean that the job was done in regards to the incident. Kushin needed to oversee and make sure that it wouldn't happen again.

Shin's uncle gaining as much information through the medical branch and so easily taking on the identity of a mednin he'd killed. It was another matter which had caused him great concern and had changed how he organized the authority on those who were meant to be trusted with information access. Now they had to apply for short term access keys which Kushin would only hand out himself. It caused much annoyance, but it made the medical branch much harder to be used by those wanting to harm Kumogakure.

Kinjutsu surgeries were still something which very few could perform, only Kushin and his previously trained Harvesters could do so without significant risks involved. He had to train others in the knowledge so that the knowledge he'd gained wouldn't die with him when someone decided that they wanted to be done with him.

In addition to all these there was the issue of his wife cheating on him regularly again at home, that there were so many made it hard for Kushin to kill them without raising suspicions so he didn't. Instead it was now something which he was forced to accept.

Kushin was busy in his private life trying to remain sane while in his public life he was busy running a sector of the village.

That there was something else on his mind was the understatement of the century. That he should inform Shin of everything it was that was going on would waste both their time.

 

[Shu]

Of course there was something on the sennin as much as any high ranking official. Shin was seeking to see if the man would try to open up to him, unfortunately that did not happen. Ever since Kushin was elected to be the medical sennin of the village he has remained reserved and far from Shin. The man was more concern with his personal experiments rather than have any relationship with his comrades. In Shin's eyes it was an honorable thing to do considering Shin had been the same way in his previous years; however, as Raikage he should at least able to discern Kushin's motives.

"I see." Shin said as he retracted his head toward the but of his chair. "Logically step would be to analyze his body perhaps we can gather information from him. Also, I will visit some of the Hyuuga families in the village to see if they have any knowledge of Daichi. Hyuuga tend to express extreme loyalty to their clan regardless of country nationality. If there is nothing you wish to discuss you are free to go."


[[Leaving Topic after Kushin]]

 

[Junan]

Kushin kept his silence as he stood and went to leave. He didn't really care about finding where Daishi had been trained or anything like that. In the end matters such as this Kushin felt had little to no merit. A student of Cloud would have been trained in Cloud, fought against Cloudies as a matter of training, killed for Cloud. That they may cast aside their bonds with the village which would have protected them and their family against anything would be a decision made by the individual, not the trainers. Finding out who it was that trained Daishi would only lead down a pathway where some would choose to seek vengeance for those lost in battle against the man, of course a man like Shin would not see this. He was too kind.

As he reached the door Kushin turned, looked at Shin, looked at the head and then said

That is all that remains of him I'm afraid. The eyeless head's gaping sockets stared blankly at Kushin. The fixed scream on the face a reminder of the hours Kushin had spent causing the man horrendous pain. It was only when he'd begged for forgiveness, only when he'd surrendered everything he knew to Kushin and been willing to surrender everything to repay his debts to Cloud that Kushin took everything he had left.

A flicker at the corner of Kushin's lips betrayed the fondness of the memory. The Hyuuga eyes remained sealed in a scroll in Kushin's pocket.

His was a quick death. The lie was spoken, and perhaps the lack of his usual monotonous tone and slight excitement as he said it would give over that fact. Let alone the screaming face. Nothing would be found from what remained. But all that was, was recorded in Kushin's mind, and that knowledge would remain with him, and him alone. Indeed he could have this come to a quick ending should he wish it. Yet making life easy for the Cloud shinobi was not the way to gain strength.

The Kingslayers still needed to weed out the weak for Kushin. They still had a role to play in this world.

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